Decisions for Cull Cows and Male Calves in 2020 Cynthia Miltenburg, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Decisions for Cull Cows and Male Calves in 2020

Cynthia Miltenburg, DVM, DVSc. OABP Vet Update Meetings - December 9-12, 2019

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Outline

Cull Cows

• On Farm Decision Making
• Is she fit for food?
• Is the cow healthy?
• Have appropriate drug withholds been met?
• Is she fit to transport?/Where can she go?
• Male calves
• Where and when can young calves be transported?
• Managing calves on the farm

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2018 Numbers Of Animals Through Ontario Auctions

117,234 cull cows were sold Approximately 80,000 calves were sold 1,617 animals were sent direct to slaughter

Dairy farmers are beef farmers too

Shipping Cull Dairy Cows

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Cull cow planning - Is the animal fit for human consumption?

Not fit:

• Animals suffering from a systemic illness - any condition affecting the whole animal,

characterized by some of the following exam findings: fever, hypothermia, anorexia, lethargy, weakness, dehydration, jaundice, toxic mucous membranes, depression, and increased pulse or respiratory rate.

• Conditions included but not limited to:
• Abomasal ulcer with weakness, hypothermia, pale mucus membranes
• Hardware disease
• Severe clinical mastitis
• Severe metritis
• Peritonitis
• Pneumonia with cyanosis, systemic illness, fever, and/or weakness

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Cull cow planning - Is the animal fit for human consumption?

Not fit:

• Multiple, severe abscesses with lymph node involvement
• Emaciation
• Cancer eye
• Lymphosarcoma
• Congestive heart failure
• Endocarditis
• Nervous disorders with central nervous signs - Affecting brain and spinal cord such as

cortical blindness, loss of central reflexes, seizures, altered mentation, proprioceptive deficits or generalized ataxia, evidence of infectious disease (listeriosis, botulism, tetanus, etc.)

• Animal with late term dead fetus or ruptured uterus
• Multiple conditions

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Cull cow planning - Is the animal fit for human consumption?

Actions for veterinarians:

• Uniquely positioned to discuss these risks with the producer
• Where possible, examine ill animals and advise when food safety does not make

slaughter an option

• Checklist for producers to examine risks immediately prior to shipping an animal
• Example: take temperature, check udder, hydration – sunken eyes
• Early culling to avoid sending animals with an advanced progression of condition

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Cull Cow Planning – Is there a risk of residues?

• Meat withdrawals apply to a variety of medications, not just

antibiotics

• Good record keeping is essential to avoiding a residue violation

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Cull Cow Planning – Is there a risk of residues?

Recent Surgery

• Animals with evidence of surgery within the last 7 days condemned due to risks of

chemical residues - Lidocaine, Xylazine, etc.

• Assessed by: incision is not healed, sutures are wet, scab is recent, or soft and

red

• Includes displaced abomasum repairs, repaired prolapses, wounds, etc
• Actions for veterinarians:
• Prior to repair, have a conversation regarding when the animal will be eligible

for slaughter, even if using an antibiotic with a short meat withdrawal

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Cull Cow Planning – Is there a risk of residues?

Dexamethasone

• OMAFRA’s drug residue monitoring and surveillance programs at provincial abattoirs

now uses the multi target analyte (MTA) assay – a full panel which includes antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, steroids, beta-agonists, and endectocides

• Dexamethasone is included in the MTA assay but Health Canada has not provided

formal Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) or Withdrawal Times (WDTs) for meat

• It is important to note that the absence of a published meat withdrawal time is not

the same as a 0h withdrawal time

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Cull Cow Planning – Is there a risk of residues?

Dexamethasone

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• Health Canada is in process of developing a Maximum Residue Limit (MRL)
• Because there is no MRL published for dexamethasone, dispositions for carcasses

with detectable residues are being made on a case-by-case basis after risk assessment

• Since May 2019, there has been a violation rate of approximately 4% for

dexamethasone found in suspect carcasses (steers, heifers and cull cows) selected for testing in Ontario, often in conjunction with ketoprofen

• Actions for veterinarians:
• Inquire about slaughter possibility prior to prescribing dexamethasone to

clients

Cull Cow Planning – Is the animal fit to transport?

• The new federal transportation regulations will come into force in February

2020

• The regulations place restrictions on what livestock can be transported to an

“assembly site” which includes livestock auctions

• Dairy farmers commonly consign calves, heifers, fresh or bred cows, and cull

cows to auction in Ontario

• The regulation will significantly impact which animals dairy farmers can

consign to auction

Cull Cow Planning – Is the animal fit to transport?

Summary of federal transport regulations by Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners

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Compromised Unfit

Conditions Included* See section 136 * Shaded areas indicate conditions with presentations covered in both compromised and unfit

• Mild bloat without systemic signs
• Mild lameness
• Minor vaginal or rectal prolapse
• Preventative hobbles
• Bloat with systemic signs
• Lame with signs of pain, halted movement, reluctant to walk, or can’t

walk on all 4 legs

• Severe rectal or vaginal prolapse
• Needs hobbles for treatment
• Acute frostbite
• Bilateral blindness
• Unhealed wound following a procedure (includes

dehorning and castration)

• Non-painful deformity or healed amputation
• Penile injuries
• Cow in peak lactation
• Any other signs of infirmity, illness, injury or of a

condition that indicates reduced capacity to withstand transport

• Non-ambulatory
• Prolapsed Uterus
• Painful, mobility impeding fracture
• Dehydrated, moribund, or exhausted
• Generalized nervous system disorder
• Laboured breathing
• Severe open wound or laceration
• Extremely thin
• Hypothermia, hyperthermia, or a fever
• A hernia that:
• impedes movement (including touching a limb when walking);
• touches the ground when standing;
• has an open wound or infection; or
• causes pain
• In the last 10% of pregnancy or within 48 hours of giving birth
• Unhealed or infected navel
• Gangrenous udder
• Severe squamous cell carcinoma of the eye
• Any other signs of infirmity, illness, injury or of a condition that

indicates it cannot be transported without suffering Transport Requirements See section 139 and 140 Cannot go to a salesbarn/yard. Must be: 1. isolated during transport and individually loaded and unloaded without any ramps in the conveyance 2. transported directly to the nearest slaughter facility or nearest place to receive care May only be transported to receive veterinary care if recommended by a veterinarian and with special provisions.

Cull Cow Planning – Is the animal fit to transport?

Requirements

• Compromised and unfit animals are prohibited from coming to an assembly site
• Compromised animals may only be transported alone or with one familiar animal

Concerns

• All forms of lameness are included as compromised or unfit depending on severity
• Other conditions that cull cows may be at risk of and are defined as compromised or unfit

include not fully healed after a procedure, minor rectal or vaginal prolapse, mobility limited by a device including hobbles, or signs of dehydration

Compromised Cull Cows

Cull Cow Planning – Is the animal fit to transport?

Requirements

• Lactating animals must be milked at intervals sufficient to prevent mammary

engorgement Concerns

• Currently, most cows are lactating when shipped to auction, and remain at the

auction or in transport cumulatively for several days prior to slaughter. There are no milking facilities.

Lactation

Cull Cow Planning – Is the animal fit to transport?

Requirements

• Cows cannot be transported in the last 10% of gestation (approximately 28 days)
• Cows cannot be transported for 48 hours after giving birth

Concerns

• Currently bred cows are regularly sold at auction in the 8th and 9th month of gestation

but will no longer be permitted at auctions

• Awaiting on CFIA clarification for what happens if veterinarians find pregnant cows

close to calving while pregnancy checking at auctions

Bred and Fresh Cows

Cull Cow Planning – Is the animal fit to transport?

Options for Compromised Cull Cows

• Currently, OMAFRA inspectors identify cull cows that are compromised, group them

together, and send them directly to local slaughter to support timely movement to slaughter

• The new regulation appears to prohibit these activities, and there is no current

alternative to transport compromised animals to slaughter facilities

• Some producers do not have an avenue to arrange direct to slaughter in Ontario

Cull Cow Planning – Is there a local slaughter option?

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Cull Cow Planning – Is there a local slaughter option?

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Cull Cow Planning – Is there a local slaughter option?

Cull cow planning - Is the animal fit for transport? Is local slaughter an option?

Actions for veterinarians:

• Uniquely positioned to discuss best outlet for a cow with the producer
• Checklist for producers to examine risks immediately prior to shipping an

animal

• Example: Does she need to be dried off? Is she lame?
• Early culling to avoid sending animals with an advanced progression of

condition

• Become familiar with plants local to your producers that accept cull cows
• Some may only provide the service if producer takes back the meat

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A question for each of our producers, what is the cull cow plan?

Discussions ought to include:

• How will culling decisions be made?
• By whom?
• When?
• Where will they go?
• Who will get them there?
• Is there a euthanasia plan?
• What else?

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Male Calves

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Male Calves – Are male calves healthy before leaving the farm?

• Can decline quickly, depending on time in transit
• Risk factors associated with mortality in veal calves
• Source
• Body weight
• Navel score
• Dehydration score
• Cough score
• Sunken flank

Renaud et al. J. Dairy Sci. 101:2659–2668

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Male Calves – Where can they go?

Requirements To visit a livestock auction, calves will be required:

• to be greater than 8 days of age
• to have a healed, uninfected navel
• to be fed and watered before being transported to sale
• to not have a fever or be dehydrated

Concerns

• Currently most calves are under 8 days of age
• 1% of calves have an infected navel requiring immediate veterinary treatment, 6% have

signs of an infected navel

• If calves arrive contrary to the federal regulations, veterinarians may provide treatment but

producer still liable

Shipping to a Salesbarn

Male Calves – Where can they go?

• Calves can be transported for up to 12 hours if:
• stops are made only to add additional calves on the way to the final

destination (which cannot be a sales barn or assembly yard);

• calves are loaded and unloaded individually in conveyances that do

not contain ramps;

• and calves are able to lie down without lying on top of each other and

are segregated from other livestock >8 days of age *Clock starts when the first calf gets on the truck

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Direct to a veal facility by a drover:

Male Calves – How will producers handle additional calves if keeping until 9 days of age?

Actions for veterinarians:

• If marketing to a sales barn – may see increased stocking density with

impacts on health of all calves on farm

• Calculate - What is the expected increase in calf density?
• May recommend separate housing for male calves – example:

purchase used hutches

• Use of sexed semen
• Protocols to manage health risks to all calves
• CalfCare.ca Vet Portal – SOPs for diarrhea, cleaning and

disinfection, euthanasia, etc.

• Some producers are greater distance from salebarns or veal raising facilities –

are there sale options?

• May be a need for euthanasia of calves without a market
• What else?

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Priorities for Planning with Dairy Clients

• Emphasizes the need for proactive culling of cows prior to becoming

compromised

• Vigilance on behalf of veterinarians when dispensing medications that may

be used prior to the decision to slaughter

• Necessitates a thorough inspection of animals for fitness to transport prior to

leaving the farm

• For calves this must include a navel check
• Ensure date of birth recording for male calves
• Involves more cull cows being dried off at the home farm before sending
• Producers may need to be prepared to find direct marketing routes for

compromised cattle to a local provincial plant

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Cynthia Miltenburg Lead Veterinarian Animal Health and Welfare Veterinary Sciences Unit Animal Health and Welfare Branch Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs 519-400-2763 cynthia.miltenburg@ontario.ca Sincere thanks to Mike Draper, Corey Campbell, Dr. Nikki Jackson, Dr. Richard Smith, Dr. Andy Vince and Dr. Manju Wijekoon for their contributions and discussion on these topics.